Money for schools
ARLINGTON — The state Department of Natural Resources is purchasing land beneath a Bartell Drugs in Arlington that is expected to bring in $483,000 annually for the Common School Trust.
The department board agreed to buy the 1.5-acre lot at 7423 204th St. NE for $9 million Dec 3. The state will manage the lease with Bartell, and DNR will garner a new stream of money for a statewide fund used to build public schools.
More than 13 years remain on the lease. The company can renew every five years for up to an additional 25 years.
The purchase is part of a larger department push to diversify its holdings beyond timber. The state agency will now manage 27 such ground leases where it owns and leases the underlying land.
Risky behavior
MARYSVILLE – Almost 15,500 responses were obtained from a recent Marysville Together Coalition community survey.
The coalition is a group of volunteers dedicated to improving the lives of youth and families in Marysville and Tulalip. The survey assesses risky behaviors in youth.
Survey results are used to come up with topics that are then used for educational classes in town.
The goal of the survey was to capture adult attitudes about teen alcohol and drug use. There were 15,480 responses.
In the survey, depression was viewed as the most serious problem for students in grades 6-12, with 58 percent agreeing. Other top problem areas were: Marijuana, 45%; suicide, 43%; tobacco, 36%; driving under the influence, 36%; alcohol, 34%; and prescription drug misuse, 31%.
Concerning alcohol use, almost 71 percent said it was either a serious or moderate problem.
Of the respondents, 75 percent are woman; also, 78% are white and 17% hispanic.
Traffic enforcement
MARYSVILLE – At a recent City Council meeting, the members approved a measure to be part of a directed traffic enforcement effort. The Washington Traffic Safety Committee has awarded $216,760.00 to Region 10 for directed traffic enforcement to reduce fatal and severe injury collisions. The Marysville Police Department will enter into an Interagency Agreement for reimbursement of overtime wages for police who participate in “Target Zero” enforcement, specifically targeting Impaired Driving Training, Distracted Driving, Click It or Ticket, Motorcycle Safety, Impaired Driving Training and Pedestrian Safety. The council also amended a law so that four council members can meet as the Regional Fire Authority board without having an open meetings violation. The new law puts everyone on notice that a quorum of the City Council will always be at the RFA board meeting.
Commissary expands
MARYSVILLE – Starting Jan. 1, all qualified military personnel are able to use the commissary at Marysville. The privileges go to Purple Heart and Medal of Honor recipients, prisoners of war, veterans with service-related disabilities and qualified caregivers of vets. The privileges also apply to things like golf courses and recreational vehicle parks at DOD installations on U.S.lands. The scannable Veteran Health Identification Card will allow the access. The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense to announce the change in August.
